


Royalty and All That

by orphan_account



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Commoner!Noctis, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, No-Spoilers, Prince!Prompto, Sexual Tension - Freeform, Slice of Life, alternative universe, bit of a slow burn, highschool, pre-game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-18 08:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9377141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Noctis Argentum just wants to befriend the Crown Prince Prompto and make him smile more genuinely all the time.He didn't mean to get swept off his feet like some fairy-tail and fall madly in love.[Roleswap AU]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I barely missed my goal of 3k words djghsdk
> 
> I hope this isn't garbage as I haven't written in a long time!! Promptis took over my life and i'm not even upset. An AU i've had on my mind for awhile now, i hope i do it justice and that the characters aren't TOO out of place in their new story setting.

His head bobbed with the sleepiness still clouding his mind, a sharp needle poking into his side bringing a yelp and attention to the task at hand. He was getting another gaudy suit tailored for another political meeting with his father. He didn't mind accompanying him most of the time, the experience was good and it was interesting in its own ways but gods help him they were incredibly boring. He loved his father but he was not ready to take on all of these responsibilities when his time came to claim the throne for himself.

He wasn't ready in general if he was being honest with himself. Prompto was far from Prince material let alone king status. He was too childish, his head was constantly in the clouds and he was intimidated far too easily. His father had once said realizing all of these things about himself is a good step to overcoming them, then proceeded to lecture him about overcoming his fears quickly as they were unwarranted and meaningless. That part didn't help the sixteen year old. His arms started to droop from the stiff t-pose he was forced into while the tailors performed their work, earning a few stern glares but after standing here for three hours he could care less.

He never understood why they needed to get measurements every time but they said that he's still growing and his body shape is constantly changing. Not as dramatic from when he was a child to now but he is getting taller and gaining muscle. That was nice. Training with Gladio along with his personal running was shaping his body nearly perfectly. Nearly.

"I'm _so_ tired," the Prince whined and finally dropped his arms. The head seamstress smiled even as she shook her head, wrapping the tape measure around her wrist.

"You're free, your highness," she bowed and her three assistants gave a curtsy behind her. He nodded his head and smiled, thanking them for their time and patience as he made his way out of the room.

Not how he wanted to spend a Sunday but there's not much he can do about matters like this. He just wanted to drink chocolate milk and pass out before school tomorrow. He sends Ignis a quick text, hoping he was still down in the kitchen even after dinner, asking for that glass of milk as he walked swiftly through the familiar halls and into his personal wing. His bed sounded so nice right now.

* * *

 

 

The yawn that escaped his mouth went unnoticed by the classmate speaking in front of him. Truth be told Noctis had zoned out of this conversation the moment it started. Five AM was not a time of day that a human should be awake. Still, here he was sitting in his desk still trying to fix his tie and blink the sleep out of his eyes before class even started. If Aesa, the girl who just loved chatting his ear off even though they weren't friends, ever cared that he never really listened, she wouldn't still be here. She only turned around when the teacher came in, he was talking with Prince Prompto as if they were best friends then ushered the boy to his seat. Everyone spoke with Prompto like they were his best friend, he was quirky, dorky, cute, everything every girl wanted in a Prince. He was stereotypical. That's what Noctis' first impression of him was back in middle school.

  
He thinks that's only surface deep as Prompto was a Prince of course and as such holds himself in very high regards, having a lot on his shoulders since he's being groomed to become king. That's what he thinks. He's never been Prince or held to high regards before, what would Noctis know? He stared forward at the teacher, getting his notebook ready to be scrawled in with hastily written notes. He was a straight-A student, most of all of the material came naturally to him and if it seemed like he never really tried then it would be the truth. He can't have failing grades when he's so busy concocting up a plan to become the Prince's friend, after all. Why did Lunafreya, the Oracle who contacted him through rather off ways a few months ago, have to ask him of all people to try and befriend him? there were so many other students practically dying at Prompto's feet to be his friend. It was odd that he didn't really have one, either. Sure everyone knew him and he was super friendly and open but he was never seen hanging out with anyone in particular and on more than one occasion the Crown Prince could be found eating lunch by himself.

That was sad to see and Noctis really did want to be his friend, he seemed rather cool and obviously friendly. It wouldn't hurt to have someone like that in his life considering he had practically no one. His adoptive parents were almost always busy and he only saw them during dinner or in the mornings if he was lucky. Prompto could be found having this thousand yard stare on his face, a dead or zoned out look in his eyes. He plays it off well when any natural concerned citizen asks him if he's okay or whats on his mind but Noctis has experienced that stare far too many times. The Prince has so much on his mind, all those smiles and laughs and politeness has to be tiring after so damn long, right? When was the last time he was able to relax or even feel at least a little burdened? He takes everything to heart and acts as if everything he has to deal with, the girls crowding around him, the royalty and the responsibility that comes with it was something everyone went through. Noctis would love to be his friend and just show the guy how to relax and have genuine fun.

Maybe he'll finally approach him about it tomorrow, maybe he'll do it today. Maybe he was really, actually nervous about it and he wasn't willing to admit that befriending the Crown Prince of Lucis was incredibly intimidating. Because Noctis just didn't get intimidated, alright? He snapped his book closed when class was over and shoved it into his messenger bag. Gym was next and he wasn't looking forward to being sticky and gross all day but he had to get it over with, so he rushed out the door to beat most of the people traffic in the halls. He was bumped quite a few times as normal but someone ended up fully crashing into his back and he stumbled forward, turning on his heel quickly to shout a few choice bitter words when he found the person to be none other than Prompto.

"O-oh, hey, sorry about that. You alright?" The general concern in Prompto's voice caught him off guard and he was stunned for a few seconds, staring into those bright blue eyes.

"Um...yeah. Yeah, i'm okay. thanks," He hastily replied, picking the strap of his bag up on his shoulder more. this was the first conversation he ever actually had with the Prince and it was slightly awkward. Prompto nodded and smiled, Noctis noticed it didn't reach his eyes as genuine as it should have, and the royal kept walking down the hall.

How peculiar. But he's going to be late so he didn't dwell on it for long, swiftly moving through the other students and making his way to class.

* * *

 

Prompto was in his PE class. It was hard not to notice when the girls across the gym kept ogling at him and getting in trouble for it, not to mention that he was swift and it all seemed incredibly easy for the Prince. That was to be expected, everyone knows that the royal family is strong both politically and physically. The fact that Prompto probably knows how to fight and works out daily is nothing new but it's still quite a feat to witness him clear through obstacles and routines like they're nothing. Noctis is good at PE as well, he enjoys it to a certain extent. Not exercise itself but feeling active and nimble is nice plus his body could do with some more visible muscle mass.

He noticed that Prompto carried around a camera with him almost everywhere. When he finished the set goal for the class, plus all of the teachers like him so he got off early, he would walk around with his camera out taking pictures of random things in the gym, at first Noctis thought he was taking pictures of the girls until he noticed it was just things like the basketballs, the teachers, bleachers, clothes strewn on the benches or the students in the middle of working out. Aesthetic things, he supposes. He wonders how the pictures come out looking because he's almost always taking them but he's never heard about or seen him show anyone his camera. When class was over he left as soon as possible to change his clothing and head off to his nest class.

School was mundane but he honestly had nothing else better to do during the day. Plus, it was important, he guesses. It was later during lunch, picking off food from the boys tray next to him and laughing at crude humor jokes that he saw the Prince again. He doesn't know why he had taken up his thoughts so much that day, typically he only saw him three or four times just throughout the school and his day continued on like normal. But Prince Prompto seemed to have it out for his thought process today. He was sitting by himself, munching on celery sticks and scrolling through his phone. It was an odd sight because, for once, he looked normal. Just like some kid bored at school trying to pass time and if anything ever made him seem more approachable than his smiles or laughs, for Noctis, it was that generic bored-out-of-his-damn-mind look all teenagers get.

Giving a quick excuse to the kids from class he was sitting next to, Noctis made his way to the royal and sat in front of him without asking or saying anything first. Prompto's attention was on him almost instantly, setting his phone on the table, it was the latest model Noctis had noticed, and he gave a soft smile though confusion was written all over his eyes and the way his brows twitched together. Noctis returned the smile and hoped it was coming off casual rather than creepy as he began to eat.

"Hey," Prince Prompto greeted him, trying to start some form of communication. Noctis gave a toss of his hand in return, shoveling more rice into his mouth.

The Crown Prince looked even more confused before he shifted awkwardly and started to eat as well. As much as he hated making something like this so cringe-worthy it was kind of nice to see Prompto acting like a normal person. He realized after a long time ago he referred to Prompto as, well, Prompto and not solely the Prince or His Highness. Feeling so casual about him in his head only brought about thoughts of how often he'd been thinking about the boy. He cleared his throat,

"Hey, man," he looked up at him, the Prince meeting his gaze. His features softened and he smiled a bit more genuine this time.

"What brings you to my table?" He asked softly and was given a shrug in response.

"I felt like you needed some company,"

"Well that was kind of you!"

"Uh, yeah...so...how'd the pictures come out?"

Those blue eyes widened slightly in surprise and they glanced to his bag where the camera strap was hanging out, then back towards Noctis.

"Oh, uh...great! I love capturing small moments in them. Sorry if i had been distracting you in class," Noctis waved his fork around as if to shove the apology away.

"You didn't. I was actually kinda interested in it, seeing as how you always have it with you," He rested his chin in his hand. Good, the conversation was going good.

"Ahaha, yeah, it's a bit of a passion of mine on the side, a hobby i guess..." Prompto set his own fork down, only half of his food consumed but he seemed to be done with it. He tapped his fingers against the metal and looked like he wanted to say something but had decided against it.

They lapsed into silence and Noctis tried desperately not to pull his phone out or just say goodbye and leave. This was the closest he had ever gotten to the Prince and he wasn't going to let the opportunity slip away.

"You wanna see them?"

The question may as well have startled him but he simply sat up straight.

"Um...yeah, i do," He nodded and Prompto, almost excitedly, took his camera out and started it up. Noctis didn't know anything about photography but even he could tell that the product Prompto held in his hands was incredibly expensive. It just _looked_ like it was.

He had handed the device over and Noctis cradled it almost like it was a child as he looked to the screen, skimming through the photos. They were good. Better than good, they looked almost staged or like they came straight out of a magazine. The focus, the lighting and the filters all brought out the perfect aspect of each individual thing he had taken a photo of. Even the teachers looked almost pleasing. The smile that began to grow on his face was apparently contagious as the Prince had returned it, his eyes lighting up with a soft fire.

"They're incredible," he went through a few more, "everything looks even better than they do in person," he hoped that was a sound compliment.

When Prompto laughed and grinned, a real one, one that met his eyes and a laugh that came from his chest, Noctis couldn't stop his own smile from growing with it. He was nearing the pictures Prompto had taken just earlier in PE when he realized a lot of photos had him in them. In fact, he seemed to be the focus of the shot entirely.

Prompto knew what photos he had to have reached by now and he felt a blush creeping its way up his neck and he tried to look off somewhere else. Not only was it nerve wracking to have someone actually look at his photography other than Ignis or Gladio, his best friends and royal arms within the castle, but the compliments plus the smiling was nearly enough to take his breath away. He was so surprised to see someone come up to him the way this raven haired boy had done, so casually and smoothly. He was cool and a bit intimidating if not slightly brooding, but that just added to his look for Prompto. He'd seen him around school before and had vague memories from middle school about a kid that could have possibly been him.

Not to mention, lately, he had been very close to being called the Prince's 'muse'. There was something about his face, the color of his eyes, his hair, the smooth paleness of his skin, everything had captured Prompto's interest and the boy was incredibly photogenic. He hoped it didn't come off like he was stalking him or anything, gods what the rumors would be, he simply admired the grumpy student like any artist admires any model. When the camera was handed back to him without any complaint this somehow made him blush and he tucked it away in his bag once more.

"Thanks for letting me see them, your Highness," and he got right back to his food. Prompto nodded and thanked him instead and regretted letting them fall back into nothing since he had nothing left to add to the conversation. Somehow, though, having this boy there across from him even though they weren't talking was comforting. He liked it and the way that they could talk so easily together was another thing Prompto never had the chance to experience with anyone from school.

Everyone was either way too nice, wanted to be his friend simply because he was the Crown Prince or were trying to schmooze their way to his father or inside the castle. He loved talking to his classmates but most of their friendliness seemed very forced or self-beneficial. But not this boy. When the lunch bell rang it jolted the Prince from his thoughts and he watched with regret as the classmate in front of him started to stand and gather his things.

"Wait," he stood up as well, a bit too quickly to seem casual, "what's your name?"

Noctis blinked. He thought Prompto had been done with him, having said nothing and started to stare blankly again. He thought he failed his first attempt to become friendly with him but maybe he did something right. Or maybe he's overthinking it and he just wants to know his name.

"Noctis," he stepped out from the bench and picked up his tray. Prompto nodded and did the same, stuffing his phone in his pants pocket.

"Nice to meet you, man!" the type of speech and the goofy smile caught him off guard, "talk to you later?"

"Uh...yeah. Whenever," he blinked and watched as the goofy blond nodded and smiles brightly, walking off to dump the remnants of his tray into the trash. He slowly followed and did the same thing when he had collected himself.

Did it work? Did he really actually make a good first impression on him? He really hopes so, because talking with him felt nice and natural and it almost gave a twisted feeling in his stomach to see Prompto act so normal. He wouldn't mind seeing something like that everyday. Lunafreya was right; he really should be Prince Prompto's friend.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hi, Noctis!"

 The raven turned in place, closing his locker slowly when his eyes quickly adjusted to seeing the Prince so close to him. It had only been a few days since he first sat down in front of the boy and made his presence fully known, the day Prince Prompto learned his name. He seemed to be attached to him since then which Noctis doesn't really mind but...it's weird because they're not really friends in a pure definition of the word. They see each other everyday and definitely talk more than strangers or acquaintances do but, they don't hang out or always eat lunch together and Noct is pretty sure they've never had a full on Start-To-Finish conversation before, mostly small talk. That's something, though and he considers it progress.

 "Hey, your Highness," He replied as he started walking down the hall, the blond following him.

 "So...what are your plans for the evening?" at this Noctis raised his eyebrows in slight surprise but continued to play it cool.

 "Nothing, if i'm being honest. I've got homework and then gaming for the rest of the night...also, you know you don't have to speak so formally with me," he made a turn and stopped to drink from the water fountain. That was something he wanted to make clear as often as possible mostly because he found the speech pattern incredibly annoying, especially after he found Prompto sounded more genuine when speaking "like a commoner."

 "Ah, right, sorry i just got off the phone with my adviser. So, i was thinking that...well...i have a free hour after school today. Normally i'd take that time to take pictures around town but, i was wondering if...you wanted to hang out? or something?"

 Take deep breaths, Prompto. He's just a person, you're just inviting someone to hang out, normal people do this. Prompto could feel his hands starting to sweat and his heart was beating fast, he waited for Noctis to finish taking a drink of water and tried not to stare with pure anticipation.

 "Uh...yeah, why not?" His heart jumped into his throat at the agreement and instead of bouncing up and down he schooled his emotions like he was taught to do and gave a simple nod and soft smile.

 "That's great! My driver will pick us up and uh, take us places and stuff."

 "Places and stuff?"

 "Well, where do you wanna go...?"

 Noctis started walking again so he chased after him, part of him really enjoyed that he didn't wait for him to do something first to find out if it's okay or not. He didn't completely dote on him every moment of every breath. Was that weird? It probably sounded weird but for someone like a Prince who has had people follow him around everywhere and wait specifically for his okay before even going to the bathroom sometimes, it was frustrating when they didn't just do things of their own volition.

 "I don't know. The arcade is closed today, i hate coffee so no cafe's or anything..." he gave a huff of breath as his thoughts swirled in his head, "maybe...we just go to the park?" When Noctis turned his head to glance back at Prompto he caught the most calm and gentle smile he'd ever seen, one that was full of pure contentment and it was directed right at him. He couldn't help but return it, a warmth filling his chest at someone, let alone the Crown Prince, smiling at him like that.

 "I like the sound of that. I'll see you after school, I'll be waiting by my car," He nodded as Prompto took a turn down another hallway, giving a wave and he returned it by throwing his hand up. Should he tell his parents about today? Well, it's not like they would notice if he was gone one more hour than usual.

 

* * *

 

Prompto dug around in his bag, hoping he left himself something from lunch to snack on but was having no luck. He walked to the passenger side of the car, smiling at Ignis in the driver's seat and motioning for him to roll the window down.

 "Perhaps, now i am just grasping at straws here, but have you brought any snacks or even celery for me to satiate my hunger with?" He bat his eyelashes at his friend cutely but received a playful eye roll in return.

 "Firstly; We both know you do not talk like that normally. Secondly; No i did not. Would you like to pick something up on the way home?" Ignis pushed his glasses up and sat back in his seat.

 "No, that's okay. Can you take us to the park, actually?"

 "Us?"

 "Oh, i have a friend that i'm gonna be hanging out with today," Prompto stood up straight and looked around to see if he had shown yet.

 "Wait, a friend? You didn't tell me preemptively that you had actually talked to somebody enough to call 'friend' let alone invited them out today?"

 "...no i didn't. I thought that was pretty clear."

 "Get in the car before I blow a gasket, Prompto," Ignis shook his head and sighed at his Prince's actions.

 Prompto opened the back door but still stood there, simply leaning against the frame and crossing his arms.

 "Ah, your highness…!" Noctis came quickly walking over from the pile of students flooding out the front doors. Whispers and stares followed him from everyone else as he casually stood in front of the Royal Prince.

 "Noctis, you made it! Hey, this is my buddy and trusted mom-friend; Ignis," Prompto smiled and gestured to the young man sitting in the passenger seat.

 Noctis gave a wave as he bent over slightly to see him within the luxurious car.

 "I'm also his adviser," Ignis pointed out, squaring his shoulders. He definitely looked like he belonged in business, he was a bit intimidating as well.

 "You sure this is okay? Us hanging out like this…your friend looks like he doesn't trust me at all," Noctis fixed his uniform coat, stopping it from falling off his shoulders.

 "I _don't_ trust you," Ignis began to step out of the car, making his way to Prompto's side with a black tablet in hand.

 "Oh…fair."

 "Ignis…!" The Prince's eyes widened at his friend but part of him, the part that was well-groomed well-trained and all of the above, mentally slapped himself. Because yeah, he probably shouldn't have been so trusting. He's the Crown Prince of Lucis after all who knows what anyone is trying to gain by getting close to him.

 But Noctis was different. He felt different in Prompto's heart.

 "Just a few routine questions and a quick background check before I let you in this car, which I shouldn't do anyways despite all of this," he tapped away before holding it up high in front of his face.

 Prompto wanted to tell him to stop, that he could be ruining his first shot at friendship outside of the palace walls but instead his anxiety about, well everything but in this moment, people just using him for their own gain…well he kept his mouth shut.

 Besides, Noctis was answering them with incredible ease. He seemed completely unfazed and even a little cocky, by the time Ignis was done and concluded he had nothing to worry about, Prompto didmt even get back to reality before Noctis was climbing into the car. He clambered in after him, closing the door and giving a huff, relieved that the ordeal was over.

 "I'm sorry about that, I completely forgot about…well…security precautions and all," Prompto twiddled his thumbs and glanced over at his classmate, too scared to call him 'friend' after that.

 Noctis was just messing with the window, "Nah," was his only reply as he turned and smiled softly. It warmed the Prince's chest and eased his anxiety if only slightly.

 "Which park would you like to go to, your Highness?" Ignis started the car and made a small quip about seatbelts, Prompto mulled the question over as he and Noctis buckled in.

 "Oh, what about the one dad used to take me to all the time?" he looked to Ignis through the rearview mirror and saw the man nod. He leaned back on his seat and pulled his coat off, dropping it on the floor of the car and pulling off his tie.

 He saw Noctis begin to do the same but simply stuffed them into his bag, Prompto assumed he didn't have books in there to take up the space. The ride was quiet, filled with a bit of small talk but mostly silence which, surprisingly, felt very comfortable. When they came up to the park, Ignis insisted on staying nearby just in case, moving to lean against the hood of the car as the two teenagers made their way over.

 "Your dad used to bring you, huh?" Noctis' voice made him jump but he nodded, walking up and looking around at the park. What to play with first?

 "Yeah, whether he made time or had more time back then, this was our place together when I was a kid." He made his way to the monkey bars, grabbing the pole above and tucking his legs under him to swing in the air. Noctis came over and watched him, not looking particularly interested but not completely bored either.

 "Yeah, I can get that. My relationship with my parents isn't picture perfect either." Noctis moved next to him and grabbed the bars but he heaved himself up and through the gap to sit on top.

 Prompto smiled up at him and continued to swing, pulling himself up and trying his best to stay that way to look at Noctis better.

 "Thanks for agreeing to hang out with me," he mumbled shyly, unable to stop his smile from turning into a goofy grin. Noctis turned in place and tossed his legs off the side of the bars, staring at the city beyond the park grounds.

 "Of course. This is nice anyways, just talking and messing around in a park, I haven't been to one for kids in a while, too," He replied cooly and easily, his expression softening into a very calm and content look as he sat there.

 The Prince felt his smile start to grow wider and perhaps the faintest of blushes adorn his cheeks so he swung his legs up on the bar in front of him and dropped his hands to hang upside down, his dress shirt safe from falling with it being tucked properly into his slacks. When Noctis repeated the same movements, his shirt flipped and showed just the smallest amount of his stomach and Prompto's eyes were drawn from the sliver of skin to the mirroring dorky smile his new-found friend had on his face as well.

 "I like you," Prompto blurted out suddenly, feeling quickly embarrassed for.

 "Thanks…I mean, I like you too,"

 "Really…? You don't find me…intimidating or overbearing, maybe even a little annoying or that I'm…rushing to call you a friend too fast?" all of the Prince's worries fell out of his mouth at once like they always do. He doesn't even remember ever holding these worried in his head but he's always feeling insecure and unworthy of many things.

 Noctis laughed. It wasn't mean-spirited or as if he was pitying him either, it was just that; a soft laugh. His nose crinkled slightly and his eyes closed as they clenched with how big his smile had gotten, it was adorable.

 "Nope," was the simple response, a pop on the 'p' and a look towards him as he started to swing lightly. Prompto wanted to do it too but was afraid that since they were facing each other they would bump faces or something.

 He processed the single word, how casual it was, how simple it is to just say something to someone and have it mean what it is without anything cryptic behind it. Noctis didn't care about how excited he got or how weird he was, Noctis didn't care that he was the Crown Prince and could do literally anything he wanted ever. Noctis didn't care.

 That was perfect.

 Before he knew it he had begun to swing as well and reached out for Noctis' hands. Noctis looked confused, or maybe that was the blood rushing to his head, but he took hold of his hands. Before Prompto could even think about enjoying it, he legs gave way and sent him crashing into the ground, yanking Noctis down with him on the mulch of the playground. Their groans and Noctis' swearing of pain filled the air for a few minutes.

 They then started to giggle and laugh loudly together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me four tries to write this chapter because it kept not saving and then i ended up having no time and then;
> 
> Well its here now, thank the gods.

"Anyway, _that's_ why I don't get into sports despite them wanting me." Noctis shifted his feet on the swing and held the chain tighter. Prompto wondered how he had the balance to stand up on a swing like that.

His fine leather dress shoes were scuffed and dirty from playing around in the park with his friend. They had done everything possible and he somehow got Noctis to play tag which just turned into 'Who can tackle who harder.' It was great, better than great, the best fun he ever had in a long time. Prompto may be Prompto but he's also the Crown Prince of Lucis and does not take that title lightly.

 "Hey, your Highness?"

 "Prompto. Or Prom. You don't have to keep calling me that," he smiled up at him.

 "First name basis with royalty, huh? _Cool._ " Noctis stepped down off the swing, and though his tone sounded sarcastic Prompto could see the light in his eyes and the up curve of his mouth.

 "I know we're friends, but maybe we should talk more and hang out like this again, if possible," his voice was questioning, almost hoping and the way he worded it confused the blond just a bit.

 Noticing this, he continued, "Well it's because…I like being around you. Talking to you is really easy, too, but we've barely said anything to each other in school…I mean—" he turned to face him, "if you don't want to be seen getting too buddy-buddy with someone because of security or public image or something then I can understand that."

 "Nah. We'll talk more and hang out more when I have the time." he stood up from his swing, moving to stand beside his friend.

 "Oh…alright. Cool," he mumbled and the Prince caught a hint of a blush. It was cute. Prompto really liked having a friend to do these kinds of things with, someone who didn't have some form of obligation to be around him or to even know him in the first place.

 "Your Highness, your free hour is up. We have to be back home quickly." Ignis walked up behind them, pushing his phone into his pocket. He made a face at the state Prompto's clothes were in but if the Prince had to place it, it was more surprise than disgust.

"Alright. Can we drop Noct off at home?"

"No, no, it's cool, Prom. I don't live that far from here i can walk," Noctis quickly added, jutting a thumb over his shoulder. Ignis looked stiff and offended at the way Noctis addressed him and Prompto held up a hand to him, preventing any comments before they started.

"Are you sure? It's not a big deal, man," the Prince almost begged, he wanted to spend another car ride with his new friend but also didn't want to come off as needy or anything. Personal image was a hard thing to deal with and Prompto had been groomed to deal with it all his life so, why is he still so awkward around him?

"I'm sure, don't sweat it." He brushed his hands off on his slacks and then held one out in front of Prompto, a soft smile adorning his features.

He held Noctis' hand and they both gave a few shakes. It was stiff and weird and unlike either of them to do something like this, suddenly they both bubbled up with giggles and chuckles, Prompto covered his mouth out of instinct and Noctis shrugged it all off, turning to look somewhere else with a hand on his hip.

"I'll see you at school, Prompto," His voice was calm and sounded a bit tired. The royal moved to Ignis' side and folded his arms.

"Sure thing! I'll show you the pictures from today at lunch tomorrow."

"Good, take care 'your Highness'," Prompto knew he was doing it on purpose now, the smirk on his face have it away and Prompto gave a mock bow in return.

"Oh, and drive safe, Ignis."

"Yes, do be careful out on the streets at this time," Ignis spoke with the care of a mother despite his suspicions of Noctis. But the blond had come to expect that out of his friend.

Ignis escorted him back into the car and started to talk his ear off about not being safe and following protocol when talking to someone; How he should have warned him about Noctis before hand, more and more things that the Prince wasn't listening to at all.

Instead, he was laying across the back seat, staring at his camera as he flipped through all of the selfies of him and Noctis together; Plenty of pictures with Nocti smiling, running or just having fun in the park. Even a few pictures that his friend had taken of him, which by artistic and photographic standards were terrible but to the Crown Prince, they were the best photos of them all. Because they were pictures taken by his friend; Noctis.

 

* * *

 

"Aw, you caught me making a really weird face…!"

Prompto laughed, pulling the camera back onto his lap as he stared at the picture on screen. It was great, he wasn't going to delete it despite Noctis' protests. He looked up at the sky, dark clouds settled in and nearly covered the entire expanse of blue giving a grey overtone to the atmosphere. He hoped it wouldn't start raining by the time Noctis had to walk home. Their photo viewing session was cut short when their free period ended, so Prompto handed over his camera for the next few classes.

"Whoa, hey…you really trust me with this?" Noctis mumbled out as he held the device in his hands.

"Yeah...why, i shouldn't?"

"No, you should! Just...i don't know. Thanks for the trust..." Noctis pushed the camera into his bag, making sure it resided in its own inner pocket. He held the door open to the building and waited until Prompto walked in before letting it close behind him.

"Of course," The Prince replied coolly, walking with a certain floating feeling that only Royalty have to their steps. Noctis did his best to keep up with the practical speed-walk Prompto seemed to constantly put himself into, the commoner would rather laze about and take his time getting to class instead.

They gave a wave as they turned at the end of the corridor, both walking down different halls to their next class. Noctis hadn't noticed how quiet the school was without his friend by his side. Granted, teens will be teens and are always talking about one thing or the other but when you've got a deep rooted social anxiety issue like Noctis, practically making it your job to tune people out and avoid conversations, the only sound to reach your ears is your heavy breathing and the squeak of your semi-fancy shoes on the tile. He hadn't realized how loud everything was around the Prince, how bright and always filled with giggles his life became.

There was something about Prompto that brought out such a side of him he's never felt; Something dorky and weird, loud and bubbly. He didn't know he even had the energy in him to be any of those things. He smiled so much and laughed until his stomach hurt and they hadn't even been friends for long. The Prince would kill him with laughter one day, he was sure of it. All of those nice things said about him in passing, all of the praise and grace, Noctis got to see and feel it upfront. Something like selfishness and pride swelled in him at being, currently, the closest commoner to the blond.

 

* * *

 

"Just a few more seconds, Ignis..."

"Prompto, we don't have the time. You and your father have a meeting this afternoon!"

"Ignis don't make me try and order you to do something..."

Ignis tapped his foot angrily, annoyed at the amount of time they have already spent here in front of the car instead of inside of it on their way home. Prompto had told him he was waiting for something incredibly important, something that he had to confirm. He had argued, of course, the Prince had a very important meeting to attend to with his father regarding the council in a few hours. And here they were, standing underneath the starting rainfall.

He and Ignis pulled their umbrellas out at the same time, Ignis having prepped before hand. This only seemed to further worry the Prince, he fidgeted in place and twisted his hand around the umbrella's handle.

"You know, I did further digging into Noctis this morning," Ignis stated aloud, fixing his glasses on his nose. Prompto didn't make any sign of interest but he continued anyhow,

"Seems like a really good student, smart, hasn't gotten in any trouble in the past, a well rounded boy."

"Yeah, Iggy, I can tell that by being friends with him not by snooping through his legal files…"

Ignis had turned and opened the back door to the car, "Yes well, I don't envy his home life. The boy must be rather lonely what with the extensive jobs his parents work, they most likely aren't home at all."

He turned to quickly apologize, having known he probably overstepped boundaries that Prompto was okay with but before his mouth could even open, the Prince was gone. There he was, dashing down the street at incredible speeds to gods know where, Ignis' heart beating at a thousand miles per minute as he worried heavily for the Prince's safety. He called after him as loud as he could muster but it proved futile.

Prompto knew he wouldn't leave the car behind, he'd come after him in it soon but he would have to find him first. Only he knew the way Noctis took to walk home and it was even a vague guess at best, he asked curiously yesterday and got a few side street names but not the entire route. It would have to make do. He ran as fast as his legs would take him without stretching and being prepped beforehand, his lungs burned with every breath he was taking incorrectly for someone wanting to sprint as he was. He didn't care if he got wet, he had maids and butlers who would have fresh warm clothes for him the moment he walked in. There would be an in home doctor to check if he would be getting a cold the next day; He would have people to care for him.

Noctis would have no one when he got home.

He didn't have the heart to tell his friend that he knew so much about his private life thanks to Ignis' background check. Noctis seemed bothered by personal things, what with the very few answers he got out of him at the park or maybe they weren't close enough to one another just yet for that. He saw the black blur of his friend ahead of him, walking as if it hadn't started absolutely pouring sheets of water onto the streets. He took a deep breath and slowed down, his dress shoes having no traction on the concrete slicked with rain.

"Noctis!!"

He clutched his bag closer to his chest and turned just in time to brace himself for the enthusiastic friend of his to clash into his body. He stumbled back and grunted from the impact and groaned in annoyance, letting a pout grace his features.

"What the hell are you doing, Prom?" He questioned louder than he meant to, he was more than pissed about having to walk home in this weather but...he guesses it didn't make it right to take it out on the Prince.

"I came...to bring you...this!" Prompto managed between breaths to explain his actions, jutting the umbrella over his friend in concern. Noctis just stared at the bright gold, white polka dotted umbrella and then stared at Prompto as if he grew a second head.

The smile on the blonds face; Bright and warm, tinted red from the running and his hair losing it's styled spikes, falling flat against his head. Noctis shook his own in disbelief and had to bite his lip to hold back from laughing and smiling.

 

**-X-X-X-**

 

"Why are you holding your bag like that?" Prompto shifted the umbrella in his hold as he waited for a response.

"Well...your camera is in here. I didn't want it getting wet or damaged or...anything."

When Noctis glanced over, he didn't know what he was expecting but it sure wasn't such a look of pure confusion and surprise. He thought he was doing the right thing, taking great care of his friends property. When the laughter started bubbling up from the Prince he didn't really know how to feel about that, either.

"Dude, it's okay, you don't have to go through such extreme lengths for my camera!"

"...what?"

"I can afford to buy a million of those. I would have preferred you to use your bag to cover your head or something. Thank you, anyways, though...that means a lot to me."

He blinked, a blank look on his face and in his eyes, then switched to staring at the building tops that were slowly being fogged up from sight. He just quietly moved the bag strap back over his head and let it sit comfortably on his hip. He was a bit embarrassed, but also couldn't face that smile stretched across the blond's face any longer. It was doing things to his stomach and chest.

Prompto had walked him all the way home, standing so close that Noctis couldn't help but notice the smaller details about him, like exactly how fine his haircut was despite looking like an utter mess of chocobo feathers atop his head. the freckles on his face that scattered across his cheeks, he somehow hadn't noticed them before. All of the different quirks in the way he spoke, Noctis wondered if he had quirks and little things like that to his own face as well. The body heat he gave off was an understated warm welcome compared to the chilling pre-winter rain, he hoped it wouldn't start snowing soon.

But winter break would be coming and snow days meant no school, so snow wasn't that bad per say. He just hated the cold...and the heat...don't judge him. He had almost wanted to invite Prompto inside when the sleek black car from before, the one he now pieced together was driven by Ignis all the time to drive the Prince to and from, skidded to a haunting stop in front of his home. They dashes out from the side alleyway to watch as Ignis glared from the tinted windows and Prompto simply just gave an awkward laugh.

"I'll see you around, Noct," He said calmly, handing the umbrella over to him once and for good.

"Don't forget to bring it to school, cold fronts and rain are coming through."

"Yeah...sure thing."

"Take care!"

"You too!"

He heard Ignis' rant start as soon as the door open and could very faintly still hear it after it had closed, the Prince now tucked away inside its warmth. It drove off, scattering collected puddles of water everywhere onto the street that was already soaked. Listening to the patter of rain on the concrete and above him on the umbrella, of such a color he would never pick, he stood outside for an undetermined amount of time. Just thinking. Spacing out as usual. This time, it was about the Prince more so than anything else, and it didn't surprise him that the blond was occupying his thoughts.

He turned and made his way inside, in the back of his mind, he realized he still had Prompto's camera.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super Small chapter to make up for the fact that i'm losing time to write so i don't have a full one out yet. Good news though is that to prevent this i'll start doing my best to stockpile chapter's in the future!
> 
> [Also; THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS COMMENTED WITH SUCH NICE THINGS TO SAY!! I love you guys aahhh i'm glad you're loving this so far!!]

Prompto had been caught up in all of his royal duties as of late. Balls, political meetings, press conferences, celebrity showings, the works. He barely had time to himself and had no time for anything else including school and Noctis. He's glad he had some semblance of reasoning the last time he was in class to hand over his phone number to his friend so they could at the very least text each other now and then throughout the day. Prompto has begun to sneak his phone into his formal wear and figured out the best way to hold his phone under the table during a meeting. Talking to Noctis in between meetings or seeing the memes sent to him during a rather tense moment of discussion not only makes him smile and chuckle but they help calm him and keep him grounded. He doesn't get swallowed by the tension in the air or let his thoughts leave him entirely as he zones out on particularly sensitive subjects. As much as he would have liked to spend more time with him in person, especially to further solidify that they were good friends, his duty to his kingdom as the Crown Prince came first.

It was almost a week until he was able to relax and get out of all of those tight fitting suits and robes. He planted down onto his bed with the loudest huff and groan he could manage in his exhausted state, spread out like a star fish on his large mattress. He closed his eyes and let the moment sink in--his body literally sinking into the plush comforter--and enjoyed the peace and quiet. No meetings no politics no passive aggressive comments; Just him, his chocobo PJ's and silence. This was the life. He was itching for one whole day to laze away and then another day full of nothing but photography; He couldn't wait to take more pictures and he wondered how the kingdom he loves so much changed in just a few days. He hated being stuffed up in the citadel like this, that really nice apartment building advertisement flashing through his brain for a few moments. He'll move in there eventually.

The buzzing of his cellphone is what finally made him sit up. He crawled to his nightstand where it sits plugged in and flipped it over, tapping to light up the screen. It was Noctis, of course. He smiled softly and picked it up in his hands, tapping away as he replied.

**"Bet you're enjoying the free time"**

_"OFC!! In bed super super comfy w/ no old dudes talking bout politics?? Hell yeah!! (*▽*)"_

**"Does that mean you'll be heading back to school with the rest of us pleb's on Monday??"**

_"Without a doubt my dude!!"_

**"Are Prince's supposed to say my dude??"**

_"This one does!! (*ゝω・)ﾉ"_

**"(¬_¬)ﾉ goodnight"**

 

The Prince nearly choked on his own saliva--the thought of someone as serious and collected as Noctis sending him an emoji seemed too outrageous and hilarious for this world. He giggled and held back his louder laughter behind his hand, letting his phone drop somewhere on the bed next to him. Noctis was right, though. He should go to bed and prepare himself for school, lazy Sunday here he comes.

* * *

 

He was devastated. Horrified. Yeah, he could buy a new one, he knew that he didn't need a handful of maids and Ignis telling him that but dammit there were good pictures in that camera. Pictures he really wanted, pictures of him and his friend Noctis, the small little SD card lodged in that camera was gone now. Where the hell did he misplace it? Was it still at school or somewhere on the street after he ran to Noctis in the rain? Either way it was gone now.

 

"Prom!"

 

He turned in his spot, smiling softly at the raven who bounded toward him and noted how Noctis seemed to have a bit of energy to his step that he normally didn't hold. They bumped shoulders and shared smiles before the other spoke,

"Hey, you left this with me." Noctis shoved Prompto's camera into his hands, the Prince staring dumbly at the device he held.

He looked up to Noctis who was as dead-panned as he always was and he felt really embarrassed for throwing such a tantrum yesterday when he couldn't find it to spend the day taking photos. He just gave an awkward soft laugh and patted his friend on the shoulder, making his way inside the school with Noctis at his side. He turned it on and skimmed through all of the pictures he thought he had lost forever and seriously reminded himself to get this card copied. Noctis made a few comments on them until they had to part ways. Something inside Prompto twinged that he had been so caught up in his camera he forgot to properly say hello or even pay attention to him. He'd make it up later, buy him lunch, get to know him more and ask about the fishing lure that was stuck in his bag that one time. It wasn't until he sat down at his desk that he noticed all of the new photos on his card. The number jumped from [320] to [350] and he knows he hadn't taken any of those. His first thought was that Noctis probably took a bunch of accidental photos while tinkering around with the device and he was expecting a few awkward shots of his friend.

It was nothing like that at all, though.

They were gorgeous. Pictures of a band playing on the side of worn Insomnian streets or a group of kittens skittering across the street. It was an entirely different side of Insomnia; The humbled common folk side to the luxurious sky scraper city. He couldn't tear his eyes away from how rugged and beautiful everything was, there were shops he never knew existed on a route to school and glittering lights of smaller communities at night through a simple framed bedroom window. Everything was Aesthetic with a capital A and he grinned brightly, even blushed at the prospect of Noctis taking all of these photos with his camera. It brought a warmth to his chest and cheeks when he saw the last photo was of a piece of paper that read;

 

_"I knew you'd be upset missing out on taking pictures of stuff around school grounds and whatever. So i did it for you."_

 

He was pretty sure his face was on fire.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again for all the nice comments and Kudos!! Let's get some more fluff in here <3

His phone clattered to the floor, a blank stare uncaring as his navy blue eyes bore holes into the ceiling. He was tired, but when wasn't he? Now was probably more of an emotional tired rather than a physical one, though; His parents wouldn't be home tonight, again, for the fourth night in a row. At this point his texts with his father were filled up with 'We wont be home' 'Ok' repeating itself on and on and on. He was sick of looking at it.

"What's one more night alone?" he mumbled under his breath to no one but himself, ever. Damn this house made him feel terrible.

He thought about going out plenty of times on these days, walking around the park or even just downtown, maybe to the arcade to strike up conversations with people but he couldn't. He didn't want to. The thought of speaking to unknown people felt like a vice on his throat and icy nails digging into his heart; Something impossible he couldn't grasp unless it was on accident or forced. Or maybe he was getting too poetic with himself because he was endlessly bored. Noctis rubbed his eyes tiredly, shifting to lay on his side and begun to drag his comforter up and over his body, fully prepared to nap the day away until he had to wake for school in the morning. His phone started ringing and he just ignored it, snuggling further under the thick blanket and giving a passing thought to possibly getting up and turning the heater on. He stayed in bed.

His phone finished ringing and started up again quickly after. Who was calling him? No one called him, not even his parents. It better not be a teacher. He begrudgingly unwrapped from his blanket burrito and reached down to grab his phone, rubbing his eye as he looked for the caller ID. It was the Prince. He answered as fast as he could, sitting up straight.

"Uh, Prompto?"

"Hey buddy!" His voice was like a beacon in the dark at that moment, Noctis smiling softly,

"So, sorry if i bothered you and you're uh, busy or something but; Do you wanna hang out?" Prompto's hope was evident in his tone.

"Yeah, sure. Whenever you're ready i guess," Noctis tried to hide any excitement in his voice as he ran his fingers through his hair, hoping he wasn't coming off too giddy.

"Oh is in just a few minutes okay? I have free time today and i wanted to spend it with you."

He blinked slowly, laying back on his bed and weirdly taking his time to process what was being said. Someone wanted to spend time with him and that someone in particular was the Crown Prince of Lucis. there was no way he'd expect this to happen in his life time at all. Especially just a month and a half ago before he mustered up the courage to speak to Prompto in the first place. He wanted to reflect on everything that has changed so far in his life from the point the Oracle herself had sent him a letter but Prompto has been calling him in worry for awhile now.

"I'm free. Let's do it."

"Oh! Okay, hah, sure! I'll come pick you up in like twenty, alright?"

"Yup." he smiled and self consciously brought his hand up to cover his mouth with the back of it.

The conversation ended with the Prince laughing softly and Noctis nuzzling his comforter and setting his phone down, not on the floor this time. He was embarrassed by the soft smile that could never leave his face whenever the Prince was around. They became so close so soon and it didn't feel forced, almost like they were meant to be best friends and the warmth, smiles and laughter around each other was the universes way of saying 'Yeah, this was a long time coming'. He felt embarrassed and like a nerd, in his own words, so he stood and started getting ready to go out.

He was sitting at his dining table, scrolling through his Twitter feed when the text came in,

 

 _"Heyo come outside!!! ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/"_  
_"Bring your fishing pole!! (•̀o•́)ง"_

 

His fishing pole? He was tempted to text back and ask why, but knowing the Prince he decided to just grab it out from his closet instead, also snatching his tackle box and making his way outside. He almost dropped the pole trying to lock up his door but managed well enough, jogging over as the backseat door opened to show the excited blond himself.

"Yo! Let me help you stuff that in the back." He gestured to the Kingsglaive who popped the trunk and he gently set the pole and box inside as if they were glass and precious, which he knew that to Noctis, they were.

Clambering in the backseat, Prompto couldn't stop his legs from bouncing with excitement as the car began its journey. Prompto turned his whole body to face Noctis on the seat,

"I'm so excited to take you to this place i mean, it's gonna be perfect!" He beamed a smile at his best friend and clasped his hands together.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" Noctis leaned back in his seat, despite his questioning he was immensely comfortable in Prompto's presence.

"Taking you to somewhere awesome. Obviously, its a place to fish since i asked you to bring your gear." the noble faced forward once more, a wholesome yet slightly snarky smirk on his face.

Noctis tried to get further information from the Glaive that was driving them, but he was definitely more business than friendly. Prompto said that Ignis was doing more training today which is why he couldn't escort them but he found the opportunity to be better; At least Ignis wasn't around to worry over them like a mother hen. Noctis wanted to ask why it was such a good thing--despite the obvious reasons--but decided against it. He thinks that whatever this is is supposed to be sort of a surprise so the rest of the car ride was spent in comfortable silence. They were coming up to a part of Insomnia he's never been to before. It was more high-class and filled with a bit more open space then the rest of it, built that way so the higher ups didn't see all of the industrial parts. The only thing blocking the skyline was a few skyscrapers here and there but they just added to the charm.

If Noctis remembered right, this part of Insomnia even had trees and greenery that was imported in to make man-made forests and such that they didn't actually have naturally anymore. The only few natural forests left were around these better-off-parts of the city. He couldn't stop looking at the pretty foliage and how even though they were technically in winter, some of the trees still had gorgeous colored leaves on them. They were beautiful and he would have kept staring if a bright flash and Click! hadn't caught him off guard. He didn't even bother turning around knowing that the Prince had taken another photo of him, he simply rest his forehead against the cold glass and watched the scenery roll by.

When the get out, the Glaive fetched Noctis' fishing gear for him and Prompto promised that he would take good care of it. As they walked--the Prince's hand clasped around Noctis' wrist--Noctis was finally able to figure out why Prompto brought him to the inner circles of the city with fishing gear. there was a huge pond, almost lake sized, surrounded by trees and grass that just started to succumb to the harsh weather, the lake yet to freeze as animals still took a dip in the cold water. There was a beautiful dock that reached into the lake itself with a stone path way weaving around the waters edge which lead into a park nearby. Noctis was taken back but how gorgeous it all looked and for something like this to be in the middle of such a heavy modern city like Insomnia, but here they were walking closer and closer. He saw other people fishing as well and it was hard to believe there were actually fish to catch here and he didn't notice he voiced it out loud until Prompto answered him.

"This place is infused with magic," he smoothly explained, moving them to the long dock, "no one can fully explain the details but it's the fact that it's so close to the citadel that makes it such an unnatural, natural place."

Noctis nodded, because to him, if you just said 'magic' everything made sense. He doesn't need you to try and use scientific terms to explain; magic can do whatever it wants. He took his pole and tackle box from the Glaive and followed Prompto down the length of the dock to the very edge. He kept explaining further how the magic effects the wildlife and brings the fish here and all of the foliage and things Noctis honestly could care less about. So he sits down, getting everything set up, contemplating the type of bait to use and ignoring all of the photos being taken of him as best as he can. He hooked the bait and cast his line, a smile stretching across his face. Prompto sat next to him comfortably and began taking pictures of the people around them, of Noctis, of the lake, up close shots of the fishing pole.

Noctis appreciated this more than he could ever say in words. Prompto expressed just how boring he found fishing to be when Noctis first shared his hobby, but he still kept asking about all of the things that went into it; techniques, what kind of pole you should use, Noctis' personal preferences when fishing. He listened to it all even if he didn't understand or have any interest in it. Just like down, leaning against Noctis' shoulder and waiting patiently with him until a fish decided to bite.

"Thanks," Noctis muttered and licked his dry lips, trying to pull his jacket closer. That was as much as he could say.

"Of course, man. You're my best friend." the Prince slapped his shoulder and laughed, snapping a picture of Noctis' incredulous face. Noctis laughed brightly.

They continued to fish and talk; Prompto threatened to steal Noctis' fishing pole which almost caused the Prince to be shoved into the freezing cold lake, which caused the Glaive with them to panic immensely. Noctis managed to catch only one fish which was good enough for him, but Prompto promised he would take him to somewhere better to fish next time. The only places Noctis knew of like that were outside the wall since they didn't have a lot of greenery here inside Insomnia but, he didn't mention that to the Prince. Instead he said that the next time they went out to mess around and hang out, it could be to do some photography. That got a loud whoop out of the noble and a big hug, one he wasn't ready for but took with pride.

Noctis couldn't even remember how he felt just before the Prince's phone call, even after he came home to no one, he felt warm and light. Happy. He was so happy to be the Prince's friend and the way Prompto smiled at him and waved, boasting a loud 'See you tomorrow' as he left made him hide his face in embarrassment. He didn't know he was capable of blushing or finding another person's smile so cute.


End file.
